Translation commentary on 2 Esdras 6:23

And the trumpet shall sound aloud: Compare 1 Cor 15.52; 1 Thes 4.16. For a description of the wind instrument trumpet, see the comments on 1 Esd 5.59. Here it signals war. “A trumpet” is better than the trumpet, which presupposes that the readers know of a trumpet to sound at the end times. Latin has no articles, and no definite article is implied here. In languages that do not have the passive voice, this clause may be rendered “Then someone will blow a trumpet.”

And when all hear it, they shall suddenly be terrified: The pronoun they refers to everyone who hears the trumpet.

Here are models for this verse:

• Then a trumpet will sound. Everyone will hear it, and be suddenly terrified.

• Then someone will blow a trumpet, and everyone will hear it, and they will suddenly become terribly afraid [or, their hearts will suddenly be full of terror].

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Esdras. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.

Translation commentary on 2 Esdras 6:56

As for the other nations which have descended from Adam, thou hast said that they are nothing …: Compare Isa 40.15, 17. The clause thou hast said may be moved to the beginning of this verse by saying “And you said that…” (Contemporary English Version).

And that they are like spittle: Spittle is another word for “spit” (Good News Bible).

And thou hast compared their abundance to a drop from a bucket: Good News Bible moves the phrase their abundance near the beginning of this verse, rendering it “in spite of their great numbers.” The phrase a drop from a bucket, based on Isa 40.15, has become an idiom in English for something of no account. Good News Bible has simply “a drop of water,” which is adequate, though the comparison with a large amount of water is lacking. It is better to say “one drop of water in a whole bucketful.”

An alternative model based on Contemporary English Version for this verse is:

• You said that all the other nations on earth, even though they are descended from Adam and are very numerous, are as worthless as spit. They are no more important to you than a single drop of water in a bucket.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Esdras. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.

Translation commentary on 2 Esdras 7:31

And after seven days the world, which is not yet awake, shall be roused: The world, which is not yet awake is the world that is to come into being after this present one. So we may translate this whole clause as “After seven days a new world will come into being.”

And that which is corruptible shall perish: It is not clear whether that which is corruptible refers to “this corrupt age” (Good News Bible) or to corruption itself, that is, death. We rather prefer the latter sense, so this whole clause may be rendered “and it will be a world in which death does not exist.”

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Esdras. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.

Translation commentary on 2 Esdras 7:68

For all who have been born are involved in iniquities, and are full of sins and burdened with transgressions: Once again the conjunction For may be omitted (so Good News Bible). As in verse 65, all who have been born refers to humans. Involved in iniquities, full of sins, and burdened with transgressions mean the same thing, but the repetition is for emphasis. Translators may work with their own languages to find appropriate ways of expressing this emphasis. Combining them into one expression simply because it is possible is not the best way of handling this. Good News Bible has introduced the image of a spider web catching insects (“caught in the web of sin”) to express involved in iniquities, and this is quite legitimate. New English Bible, working with another English idiom, translates this verse as follows:

For every man alive is burdened and defiled with wickedness, a sinner through and through.

Another possible model is:

• Every human being who has ever been born has sinned. We are all full of sin, laboring under [or, weighed down with] a heavy load of sin.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Esdras. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.

Translation commentary on 2 Esdras 7:100

I answered and said: Good News Bible and Contemporary English Version say “Then I asked,” which fits well with the question that follows.

Will time therefore be given to the souls, after they have been separated from the bodies, to see what you have described to me?: Compare verse 75. The souls refers to “the souls of the righteous” (verse 99), which Good News Bible makes clear. Contemporary English Version is similar with “the souls of the faithful people.” We may also say “the souls of people who have obeyed God faithfully.” Ezra seems to ask if the souls of the righteous will be aware of all the things that Uriel has explained to him before they go to their places of rest (verse 95).

An alternative model for this verse is:

• Then I asked, “When the souls of the righteous have left their bodies, will you give them time to see the things that you have described to me?”

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Esdras. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.

Translation commentary on 2 Esdras 7:135

And bountiful, because he would rather give than take away: For the implied idea at the beginning of this verse, see the comments on verse 133. Good News Bible makes it explicit by beginning with “He is known as.” As the Revised Standard Version footnote indicates, the last part of this verse is ambiguous. We feel that the translation offered there as an alternative is rather unlikely; the real ambiguity we see is between the meanings take away and “demand” (Good News Bible, Revised English Bible, Violet). These two senses are not really that far apart, looking at the same action from two different viewpoints, so a footnote is not necessary. We suggest using Good News Bible as a model, but another possible one is:

• He is also known as generous because he prefers to give rather than to take away.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Esdras. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.

Translation commentary on 2 Esdras 8:28

Think not on those who have lived wickedly in thy sight; but remember those who have willingly acknowledged that thou art to be feared: This verse is neatly parallel to verse 27, and Good News Bible‘s translation reflects that well. The following model of Contemporary English Version is also worth studying:

• Don’t pay attention to those who constantly do wrong, but take care of everyone who listens with fear to what you command.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Esdras. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.

Translation commentary on 2 Esdras 9:1 - 9:2

He answered me and said: The speaker here is probably the angel Uriel. The verb answered is better rendered “replied” or “responded,” since Uriel is not answering a question asked by Ezra.

Measure carefully in your mind may be translated “Think very carefully” or “Consider all these things very carefully” (Good News Bible).

And when you see that a certain part of the predicted signs are past may be expressed as “When you see that some of the signs I have told you about have already happened.”

Then you will know that it is the very time may be rendered “then you will know that the time has come.”

When the Most High is about to visit the world which he has made: For the Most High, see the comments on 2 Esd 3.3. In this context the verb visit refers to God’s judgment (see the comments on 2 Esd 5.56). So this clause may be translated “when God Most High will bring judgment on the world he has created.”

These two verses presuppose that a definite timetable exists for events at the end time, a common feature of apocalyptic writing (compare 2 Esd 4.36-37; 14.11-12). The idea seems to be that Ezra should do some calculating, figuring how many of the predicted signs have already come to pass, and then suppose that the end time is near. Here is an alternative model:

• 1 He [or, The angel Uriel] replied, “Think very carefully. When you see that some of the signs I have told you about have already happened, 2 then you will know that the time has come when God Most High will bring judgment on the world that he has created.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Esdras. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.